Serb President Vows to Push for Kosovo Deal Despite Risks

Serbia’s president vowed to start a nationwide debate next month on unresolved relations with Kosovo and Albania, saying a “compromise” would fix most of his country’s political problems for a century and open the way to European Union membership.

Debate within Serbia would help outline the negotiating position before talks begin. Changes that need to be addressed include amending Serbia’s constitution, which says that Kosovo must remain part of the country, Vucic said. A two-thirds majority in parliament would be needed to do so. Out of 250 lawmakers, Vucic’s party controls 131.

“Unless we have the strength to change the Constitution, and at this moment it seems we don’t, then our European path will be stopped,” he said.

The president’s initiative is a “great marketing move to feel the pulse of the nation and to challenge the opposition parties to come forward with proposals, if they have any,” Bosko Jaksic, an independent foreign policy analyst at the New Policy Center in Belgrade, said by phone. “It’s a question how far Vucic is ready to go — he’s seeking a dialogue without saying what his platform is.”